


White Lights

by gulpereel



Category: Kamen Rider Gaim
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Party, Drinking, Fluff, M/M, Secret Santa, mentions of throwing up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 21:08:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13132242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gulpereel/pseuds/gulpereel
Summary: For the Kamen Rider Secret Santa 2017! Takatora wakes up in a room he doesn't recognize, a killer headache and some regrets. Ryouma finds it all amusing.





	White Lights

**Author's Note:**

> I was tasked with writing something cute so I gave it my best shot with these two awful men. In this their relationship is sorta like very fresh/unsure between them but things have happened just for context. I hope you like it Sara!!!

There’s a few things Takatora notices upon waking up.

The first is the room he’s in, it’s silent but it’s not dark, there’s a grey light coming through haphazardly shut curtains and through a gap he can make out that outside it’s snowing. From the grey tones of sunlight he can’t tell how early it is or how late it is but he’s glad he can take a look at the room he’s ended up in, at the room he doesn’t know.

If Takatora had to describe the room in one word he’d probably pick “messy” or “disastrous” and that’s being kind. On the floor he can see books and paper thrown around like it was shoved off somewhere, perhaps from the bed, perhaps from last night. Within the room there’s a desk also similarly covered but among the notes are tools and gadgets, things Takatora vaguely recognizes but has no idea of their names. The room is sparsely decorated else wise except for a map of the city covered in pins and post it notes on the wall and Takatora is too far away to read them, to try and figure out who’s handwriting it is. In a chair to the side there’s a pile of clothes placed without care and he can make out some plaid, some patterns and ombre—

He feels movement next to him under the covers and that's when he notices the next, perhaps most important thing: he’s oddly naked.  
Oddly because usually he sleeps in black, soft silk pajamas and especially lately as it’s winter and he gets cold so easily. No, instead of his regular nightwear he feels hot skin against his own, feels someone cuddled up behind his back, arms wrapped firmly around his torso and legs entangled with another set. It’s an intimate hold with someone else that’s clearly naked too and that makes Takatora feels hot all the sudden, makes a rising sense of panic start. He’s got so many questions—

“Takatora,” a voice breaks the silence but it’s quiet, almost a whisper against his ear that’s got a roughness to it from sleep.

“… Ryouma?”

“Dont panic.”

“I don’t panic,” Takatora replies back but his voice sounds equally as rough, feels dry and he’d kill for some water and then somewhere to brush his teeth.

“I can feel you tensing up,” Ryouma goes on to say, one of his hands starting to rub gentle at his hip like he’s calming an animal down. “I know what you’re thinking but you’re wrong.”

“And what, exactly, am I thinking?” Takatora makes an attempt to move, to face the other but Ryoumas hold is tight, vaguely reminiscent of a snake.

“I didn’t fuck you, actually we’re naked for very boring reasons, also yes this is my apartment and yes you did make a fool of yourself in front of me at the Christmas company party.”

“That wasn’t exactly what I was thinking.”

“Oh? Enlighten me.”

Takatora pauses, then starts to relax back into the hold he’s in.

“Just that your room is a mess.”

"Yes, well, what exactly were you expecting?" And Ryouma is right, as per usual, Takatora knows he shouldn't have expected any differently. He wonders if he should be panicking a bit more, waking up in Ryouma's bed like this, should panic after being told he's definitely fucked up last night in some way but it's just not there. Maybe he's too tired? It's a reasonable explanation of why he can't bring himself to jump out of the bed and quickly find his clothes. It's definitely not the way the bed is invitingly warm in Ryouma's hold against the cold, winter morning and it's definitely not the hangover he's refusing to acknowledge is starting to flair up. He shuts his eyes as he feels a wave of nausea hit.

"Hey," Ryouma seems to notice Takatora going quiet in his ever attentive way, "don't throw up again, okay? I've had enough of that already in the span of 24 hours."

"I threw up?" That explains the horrible taste in his mouth then.

"That's quite an understatement, which, you definitely owe me some favours for," Ryouma starts to explain and he's keeping his voice quiet but it's definitely not exactly gentle, "and it's also why we're naked. Your clothes are in the dryer."

"Ah," Takatora can only really reply with a sound but he's at least glad to find out some answers to some of the questions he was mentally trying to ask.

"You were kinda cute though, so maybe I'll forgive you. You were practically crying over it, I've never seen you like that," Ryouma continues to explain and Takatora has flashes of memories hit him from last night. He vaguely remembers throwing up, the sensation something he loathes and tries to avoid but it's mixed in with the rare sensation of someone stroking his hair and pulling it out of the way. He remembers leaning against Ryouma to balance himself, he remembers Ryouma chiding him as he undressed him in a room he isn't too sure he knows. He remembers feeling disgusted by himself, remembers feeling more helpless than he'd ever like to feel like and with that in mind, perhaps he can see that Ryouma is maybe not lying, that he was practically crying over it.

"That sounds... embarrassing," Takatora replies back, not quite sure he wants to admit to remembering, not quite sure he feels like acknowledging reality just yet.

"Oh, it was, but luckily that only happened when we got back here. You embarrassed yourself in other ways though, definitely," and Takatora can't help but make a groan like noise in response. "Ah, my bad, you've got a hangover, right? Shall I keep the details for later? I'll even let you go back to sleep if you so wish."

"No, just--go on, tell me what happened, I'll be listening."

"Are you sure? You may regret asking."

"I'm sure I will but I'm not going to start shying away from the truth now."

"Ah, even hungover you're still just the same as usual, honestly it's incredible--"

"Ryouma," Takatora feels the headache vaguely ringing in his head as he starts to curl inwards a bit more, starts to sink more into the semi-uncomfortable mattress that feels nothing like his own.

"Right, well, where do you remember up to, exactly?"

"I remember you bringing over a drink and I remember it tasted... bad, then we had a round of toasts with wine and, well," and Takatora tries to recall what happened but it's all in fragments. He remembers sitting at a table as his father gave some speeches, drinking along to the toasts with wine that was perhaps a little too strong. He unfortunately knows he's a bit of a light weight but he can remember Ryouma leaning in behind him after placing a drink down in front of him, can remember Ryouma telling him he should unwind a little and then he pauses.

"Did you drug my drink?"

A silence falls over the room for a couple of beats, then laughter.

Ryouma starts to almost cackle behind him and Takatora feels vaguely embarrassed. He feels Ryouma pull away all the sudden, feels him start to sit up as he laughs and Takatora rolls over to get the first look of the other since last night. The first thing he notices is that Ryouma isn't wearing his glasses which is a sight he's seen before but still finds it unusual how different he looks without them. Next he notices Ryouma's hair; Takatora knows he's growing it out but recently he's only seen it put up into small pony tails around at the lab and now he can see it hits just past his chin, the strands silky looking but a little messed up from sleep.

The laughter sounds genuinely amused and Takatora knows Ryouma is laughing at him but somehow he doesn't mind if it's allowed Ryouma to laugh like this.

"Did I drug your drink? Ha! That's a new one-- I mean, I definitely gave you a drink with alcohol in it, but it's not my fault I didn't know you were such a light weight," Ryouma eventually calms down enough to reply but he lets out another chuckle before continuing, "I know your fathers speeches are horrible but you were also putting down the wine like it was water too."

"Yes, well, just tell me what happened after," Takatora tries to steer Ryouma back on track as per usual but this is probably his least subtle attempt yet.

"Mmm, what didn't happen is maybe more the question," Ryouma starts to lay back down but this time on his side, resting his head on his hand propped up on the pillow, looking down at the other, "you obviously got drunk but you were trying to act so sober it ended up being quite amusing. At some point you started to undo your tie from a hot flush I'm pretty sure, then you were taking off that lovely tux jacket and then you wouldn't stop complaining how hot you felt and--"

"I don't want the details, actually."

"Are you sure? It really sets the atmosphere of what's happening I think, but okay, fine. You ended up in the toilet being over the top about being drunk to which I calmed you down and got you to drink some water," Ryouma smiles a little as if it's a fond memory but as quickly as it arrives it's gone, "then when we got back your dear father was looking for you and wanted to share a drink. As per usual I quickly made an exit from your side at that point as I know how much your father likes me."

"Oh."

"Exactly, so, I have no idea what you may have said to your father but let's hope not a lot," Ryouma continues with a small little laugh, "I wish I could've been listening in though I'm sure it was very much a small trainwreck."

"Ryouma--" he stops himself, takes a deep breath, the headache he's experiencing getting worse isn't worth it, "just, what happened after that then?"

"I saw your father leave you and, I assure you, with as much speed and tact I came back over and tried to get some more water into you. As amusing as you getting drunk is, I'm not actually that cruel to let you truly make a fool of yourself in front of investors."

"But you let me embarrass myself elsewhere?"

"Yes, well, I managed to get you outside with no one around at least," and Takatora shuts his eyes and he vaguely recalls the event. He remembers Ryouma forcing him into the winter coat he'd worn for the evening, a black wool affair that felt too warm while inside but he was grateful for once actually out in the cold December air. He remembers Ryouma guiding him through the large grounds of the rented hall for the evening, the path underneath made of pebbles making loud sounds in the quiet night. Their path was illuminated by nets of white lights placed over trees and bushes and Takatora remembers thinking how weirdly beautiful it was, especially the way it gave a soft light that reminds him of Ryouma's lab. He remembers taking a seat at the edge of a fountain turned off for the winter months, remembers seeing the frost layer on the cold marble glistening in the light and remembers the coldness as he sits down on a surface refusing to warm up. Ryouma stood in front of him, wearing the suit Takatora had given him for the evening, complaining about the cold night and then Takatora knows he said something because Ryouma pauses in his complaints to give a small smile at him but he can't remember what he actually said. He remembers Ryouma taking a seat next to him, remembers the feeling of a cold hand pressing itself to his cheek and quiet laughter.

He opens his eyes when he notices Ryouma has stopped talking, "and?"

"I thought you'd fallen asleep again, glad you're still with me, but anyway, as I was saying--"

"We were outside--"

"We were outside and you were," Ryouma pauses, seems to bite his lip. "Actually, forget you, you didn't really do much, you just said a lot of things I know you didn't really mean."

"Like what?"

"Anyway, after a bit I convinced you that we should just leave, but then you went off about responsibilities and that you had to continue being a representative of you father and all that, which I told you that you're maybe a bit too drunk for but you were definitely trying to argue that you weren't drunk anymore so I just gave up, which I know, mistake on my part," Ryouma swerves the question with expertise of someone used to doing that and Takatora can't even be bothered to point it out. He knows when Ryouma is firmly dropping a subject. "And with that, we went back inside and then I didn't see you again for a while. I ended up with Minato who wasn't exactly one for christmas spirit either so I at least enjoyed myself for an hour."

"An hour?" He hates that a whole hour is seemingly blank from his memory though he remembers being handed another drink from someone and he remembers vaguely talking about energy economics with someone.

"I know, it was a mistake, I accept the fall for this one for once, especially since I came back and you were somehow even more drunk, drunk enough that as soon as you saw me you leaned in and just straight up said that leaving you was a mistake," and with that the scientist gives Takatora another amused little look, eyebrow raised. "You thought you were whispering but you really weren't and then you were trying to find balance on me and I'm pretty sure Minato took a video of the whole thing so look forward to seeing that later."

"Oh, god," Takatora shuts his eyes again but it's more like a wince. He runs his hands over his face and he feels how gross his skin feels. As he keeps his eyes closed he gets a flash of a memory of leaning against someone and shutting his eyes and feeling thankful he had someone to keep him upright, had someone to keep him steady.

"See, I said you should've just gone back to sleep and dealt with this all later," there's a small little laugh again like Ryouma is enjoying this more than a person should but Takatora has come to expect it from the other even only knowing him for half a year. It's also not an unpleasant sound exactly but Takatora sometimes wonders if he's in the minority of people who think that.

"Perhaps," Takatora opens his eyes again, meets the gaze Ryouma is still casting his way as if he doesn't want to miss any of the reactions Takatora was going to give hearing the events from last night. "But, fine, after that? I assume you got us here somehow."

"By taxi."

"And how did that go?"

"Oddly, it went fine."

"Oddly?"

"Don't worry too much about it, you were basically falling asleep thankfully. It's just when I had to wake you up and get you into my apartment is when you started to feel sick and well, here we are, naked, your very expensive clothes puked on and now getting probably the wrong washing treatment."

"And that's it?"

"That's it, I mean I can talk about how cute you were when you were cuddling up to me all drunk in bed last night complaining about how cold it is but you may not even believe me."

"I don't, I was probably too hot for that."

"Touche, you're right, that was a lie, you complained when I tried to hug you from behind but you were too out of it your attempt to push me off was basically pitiful."

"You're not usually one to, uh, cuddle up."

"Yes, well, I wasn't exactly sober too," Ryouma starts to sit up again, gives a stretch, a small yawn. "Anyway, enough about last night, breakfast? I don't have much."

"Painkillers if you have any."

"Coming right up."

\---

"Come on, mind your head," Ryouma mutters as he helps a drunk Takatora into the back of a taxi. It's cold outside but he doesn't know if he prefers it over the heating blasting inside as he takes a seat next to the other.

He tells the cab driver his address and he sees Takatora give him a questioning look from where he's essentially landed in the back seat but he ignores it ultimately and Takatora seems to drop the issue too. Ryouma knows Takatora would have something to say about not wanting his brother to see him like this, to not want his father to see him like this and Ryouma is personally tired of ever hearing about that Mitsuzane or his boss so he decides this is the better option. As the taxi driver begins to pull away, Ryouma runs a hand over his face and suddenly feels tired but then he looks towards Takatora next to him in the darkness of the cab and he can't help but smile.

Takatora has spread his limbs out, like he can't seem to find a comfortable position, his tie loosely hanging around his neck, his tux and coat undone and draping here and there. He looks so un-put together that Ryouma can't help admire it, can't help compare it to the first time he ever met Takatora or to the more recent memory of tonight when Takatora came to pick him up from the lab already dressed up and looking every part of the young, rich son that he is. He wonders if Takatora knows how beautiful he looks when done up like that, if he noticed the people in the office staying late giving him looks, the women here and there chattering away about him as they passed but he knows Takatora didn't, he never does. He wonders what those people would think if they saw Takatora like this, as a mess of a drunk person, like someone human like all of them rather than the untouchable figure he usually presents himself and then he pauses.

He doesn't want other people to see this. This is something only for him to see.

"Ryouma," Takatora breaks his thoughts with a small, pathetic call of his name and Ryouma responds with a small hum. "Can you get my coat off? It's too hot in here."

Ryouma reaches over to where Takatora has began to struggle with his coat and without a comment he helps it off him. He places the heavy coat across his lap but then Takatora is leaning his head against his shoulder, as if he'd just melt into a pile on the seats if he didn't keep himself up like that.

"I'm glad you were there tonight," Takatora starts and it's so quiet but Ryouma can hear it, "I usually have to deal with this events by myself, so it was good you were here tonight. You look good in that suit."

"I look good in everything," Ryouma replies back and he'd actually felt so uncomfortable dressed up in the suit Takatora had given him but he'd said nothing and he still wonders why. "But I guess I'll give you some credit for your choice."

"I'm sorry, Ryouma."

"Oh? For what exactly?"

"Making you come tonight," Takatora shuts his eyes and Ryouma wonders if he's going to fall asleep but then he opens them again, meets his eyes and there's a clarity there that wasn't there before and it makes Ryouma hold his breath for some reason. "It means a lot to me that you agreed."

He lets the breath he was holding out, lets out a small laugh because he doesn't know how to reply. He breaks the eye contact first and looks out of the window and sees brightly decorated houses and buildings pass by and illuminate the cab. As he takes another look back at Takatora, the colourful lights passing give a soft light to his face in the dark and he can't help but notice the small details, how long Takatora's eyelashes are, the attractive red flush to Takatora's cheeks that makes him think of other things than drinking and-- he wonders if he's maybe drunker than he'd originally thought.

"Don't mention it," he eventually replies and then pauses. "Call it my christmas gift."

Takatora gives him back a small smile Ryouma has never seen before as a reply and then he shuts his eyes again against his shoulder.

Ryouma lets him sleep.


End file.
